Now that she’s resumed her royal duties, Kate Middleton can no longer rest on the laurels of waist-up dressing. Starting with a walk around the Fakenham Garden Centre on 19 June, she then visited a children’s hospice in East Anglia, The Nook, to plant flowers and speak to families.
As a famously diplomatic dresser, she erred towards the casual side of smart-casual to suit her outdoor surroundings, choosing a blossom-printed lilac tea dress with ever-so-slightly puffed shoulders.
Not only did this visit mark the dress’s inaugural outing, but it came from a label that Kate hasn’t actually worn before, Faithfull The Brand. It might mark a new direction in the Duchess's wardrobe, but it's a firm influencer-favourite. Fans call themselves #faithfullgirls - and its floral-print dresses have a celebrity following that includes Hailey Bieber, Katy Perry and Sofia Vergara.
The dress in question, called the Marie-Louise, is now sold-out but was £180. She accessorised with some of her high street favourites, including Russell & Bromley’s wedge-heel espadrilles and Accessorize’s hoop earrings.
Faithfull The Brand’s clothes are hand-made in Bali, where founders Sarah-Jane Abrahams and Helle Them-Enger met on their travels, and certainly marks an easy-breezy departure from the Duchess’s wardrobe of power tailoring and heeled pumps. With high summer just around the corner, expect a run on its bikinis, sarong-style skirts and floppy-brimmed bucket hats for picnic season.
SHOP: Five Summer Dresses From Faithfull The Brand
1 of 5Maggie Floral-Print Crepe Midi Dress, £180
2 of 5Faithfull The Brand, Floral Woven Mini Dress, £145
3 of 5Faithfull The Brand, Mathilde Shirred Floral-Print Crepe Midi Dress, £189.53
4 of 5Faithfull The Brand, Saint Jean Off-The-Shoulder Ruffle Tie-Dyed Crepe Nightdress, £159
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